Remembering Pearl Harbour

Remembering Pearl Harbour

77 years ago, today on Sunday morning December 7th, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Armed forces attacked Pearl Harbour of Honolulu Hawaii. Without warning, provocation or declaration of war the Japanese forces killed 2,403 American servicemen, sailors, soldiers & civilians and left 1,178 wounded.

Despite sonar equipment picking up the approaching squadron of enemy fighter planes the alarm was not raised. Instead the information was dismissed as friendly B-17 Flying Fortresses sent by the US Army to the Philippines that unfortunately for the US (fortunately for the Japanese) was scheduled to pass by Hawaii that morning.

Japanese planes then filled the sky just after 8 am raining down bullets and bombs on Pearl Harbour destroying or damaging twenty American Naval vessels including 8 battleships and over 300 airplanes.

In less than 2 hours the surprise attack was over and every battleship in Pearl Harbour had sustained significant damage. In fact, an 800kg bomb was dropped on the USS Arizona which landed in the ammunition room and exploded, sinking the ship with more than 1,000 naval men trapped inside. These heroes remain in their watery grave to this day. This historic event sparked US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to address congress on behalf of all American citizens which led to the United States declaring war on Japan and entering World War II in alliance with the Allies.

Clients can visit and pay their respects on Trafalgar’s Hawaiian Explorer as an expert guide takes them through the USS Arizona Memorial and the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. And for an alternate experience travellers can explore Hawaii with Contiki on the Hawaii Unplugged itinerary and visit the renowned Punchbowl cemetery following a visit to the USS Arizona memorial site.